52 Weight Loss Missionshttps://52wlm.com
It's not what you Know, it's what you DoSun, 12 Nov 2017 23:52:54 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4I Did More Of This And Lost Weighthttps://52wlm.com/i-did-more-of-this-and-lost-weight/
https://52wlm.com/i-did-more-of-this-and-lost-weight/#commentsTue, 08 Dec 2015 11:15:37 +0000https://52wlm.com/?p=2284How are you coming along with your Weight-Loss Action Challenge habits so far?

So… what will you choose for this week?

]]>https://52wlm.com/i-did-more-of-this-and-lost-weight/feed/7The Good-Girl-Bad-Girl Diet Dilemmahttps://52wlm.com/the-good-girl-bad-girl-diet-dilemma/
https://52wlm.com/the-good-girl-bad-girl-diet-dilemma/#commentsSun, 06 Dec 2015 22:28:45 +0000https://52wlm.com/?p=2329Recently I tried to give up some of my favorite foods for a week. Just one week. An apparently simple challenge.

What do you think happened?

Did I discover newfound joys of tofu treats? Did I revel in the thrill of a blood-chocolate level below the legal limit?

No. I most certainly did not.

Instead, I became obsessed with the things I was trying to deny myself.

People’s heads began to resemble chocolate bars. Foods I could previously eat in moderation suddenly became as compelling as a skin-tight, low-cut, leopard-print mini to a Kardashian. I ate way more of these foods than I usually do.

And I promptly gained 6 pounds.

What the hell happened?

Suppressing Thoughts Of Chocolate

I really should have known better, as I’ve been through this before.

As a psych student I’d had to complete a behavior-modification project involving learning theory (you know, that positive reinforcement stuff). I chose to reduce my chocolate intake. The idea was to reduce my chocolate consumption over several weeks, rewarding myself along the way for this behavior change.

But instead of the results I expected, pretty soon my chocolate-related behavior became disturbing (um, rampant). My data made no sense from a learning-theory perspective.

So I went to see my lecturer. Being cool and smart, she suggested I undertake a different assignment – to make sense of my data using other psychological theory and research.

Writing that make-up paper blew my chocolate-obsessed mind.

I discovered that denial and deprivation are super-powers. Far greater than self-discipline and motivation. Able to leap regular willpower in a massive, single bound.

For example, one study showed that when people were asked to not think about chocolate, they ate more chocolate. (They didn’t know their chocolate intake was being measured.) Why?

First, not thinking about something is hard. Don’t think about Borat in a mankini. See?

Second, the act of thought-suppression is also mentally exhausting. You’re left with depleted willpower resources for resisting what you don’t want to do.

Third, like a pool noodle held underwater, suppressed thoughts are poised to resurface with a vengeance as soon as you stop trying to hold them down.

It all adds up to a potent psychological cocktail of self-sabotage.

Catholic Girls And Forbidden Fruit

To be honest, I suspected the counterproductive superpower of self-denial long before my failed learning theory assignment.

Thirteen years of Catholic girls’ school taught me that nothing is so appealing, so irresistible, as the thing you shouldn’t have.

The forbidden fruit may not always taste the sweetest, but it’s the one that makes your mouth water most.

And just quietly, it also has the highest cost in Our Fathers and Hail Marys.

The Good-Girl-Bad-Girl Diet Dilemma

Psych papers and confession penance aside, here’s how I now think of self-denial.

It’s as though you have a pair of twins living in your head. They always stick together. You cannot have one without the other.

When you try to resist something, you summon the good twin – she helps you to cut out alcohol, avoid carbs, abstain from pepperoni pizza.

But beware. The bad twin is right there with the good one, going wherever she goes, reversing everything she does. And unfortunately the bad twin is more powerful. Not only does she cancel out the good twin’s efforts, she overcompensates and does more damage. You start out out trying to eat less chocolate and end up eating more!

Not Everyone Gets It

Some diet and fitness gurus for instance seem to find it incomprehensible that a person could want to not eat something and yet eat it anyway.

Where is your motivation they chastise. Don’t you want to lose weight they admonish. Put down that donut and eat your celery sticks, they chide.

Perhaps they didn’t go to Catholic school. Perhaps they haven’t developed interesting food issues like many people (women?) have. Perhaps their twins were separated at birth. Perhaps they talk the talk but secretly binge on Big Macs and Tim Tams every night. Who knows.

What I do know is that every real person I’ve ever discussed weight and food with (hundreds, as research for my weight-loss program) is confounded by the good-girl-bad-girl diet dance.

Overcoming The Good-Girl-Bad-Girl Diet Dilemma

So what’s the solution?

There’s only one way to deal with the good-girl-bad-girl twins: don’t play with either one. Avoid eye contact. Do not engage.

How do you apply this to dieting?

Well for a start, don’t ever diet. Putting yourself on any form of denial- or deprivation-based eating regime is a fantastic way to get both twins wasting your willpower. And making you feel demoralized.

If there’s a bad-girl food you love, then have it, but only when you really want it. Save your calories for when they really matter.

If there’s a bad-girl food you can take or leave, then always leave it. Save your calories for the really good stuff.

I don’t think there’s any other way. You can’t have good girl without bad girl. They’re a twin set.

Note:

In this post I’ve used ‘girl’ for simplicity, as most of my readers/customers/commenters are female. I do hope this isn’t off-putting to my male readers. I value you guys just as much, but I don’t know how to convey the idea gender-neutrally. Good-girl/boy-bad-girl/boy is cumbersome and good-person-bad-person lacks the connotation I want.

Now that you’re seriously on a healthier path, you’re going to have to make some sacrifices. For instance: No more eating out.

Just kidding!

Of course you can have a healthy weight-loss goal and also a fun life – one that includes eating out!

You simply need to have a few tricks up your sleeve for navigating the menu, the ordering process and the dessert cart.

In this mission we’ll set you up to enjoy eating out while staying true to your weight-loss goal. And I’ll share some of my favorite strategies for planning ahead and ordering strategically.

Plan Ahead

If you’ll be eating out, here are 8 strategies for planning ahead so you can enjoy yourself while making goal-friendly choices.

If you’re not confident about choosing well on the spot, then call the restaurant in advance. Explain that you’re looking for options that are lower in calories, and ask for advice on what to choose. There’s no need to apologize, over-explain, or feel intimidated.

Do this regularly and over time you’ll learn how to order with confidence. You’ll recognize choices that are goal-friendly, while also satisfying your taste buds and your sense of having a nice time out.

If you have a say in the choice of restaurant, steer clear of buffets and all-you-can eat places. In these restaurants, the path of least resistance tends to be the plate of most food.

Once you find a restaurant that offers goal-friendly choices or is happy to cater to your preferences, reward them with more of your business. When you dine out with friends, suggest your goal-friendly places.

Look up restaurant menus online so you can plan your choices beforehand.

Remember Mission 13: Splurge Strategically, and be prepared to make sacrifices wherever they don’t much matter to you. If you could take it or leave it – bread, dessert, sauces, dressings, alcohol – then leave it. Enjoy what you truly enjoy.

Eat lighter earlier in the day if you know you’ll be dining out later. But…

Don’t dine out ravenous – extreme hunger will trounce good intentions every time. Take the edge off your hunger with a goal-friendly snack before you head out. Good pre-eating-out choices include chicken or turkey breast slices, low-fat yoghurt, or an apple and a few almonds.

Hint: Plan ahead for holidays and conferences too

If you’ll be staying away from home, call the hotel in advance to suss out your goal-friendly options. Get advice about lower-calorie choices in their restaurants, room service, and local eateries.

Key Tip: Write Off The Cost

As we talked about in Mission 14: Stop Overeating, it’s a mistake to eat more than you want in order to get your money’s worth.

If you’ve had enough and your plate is still half-full, that’s fine. You’ve enjoyed the company, ambiance, and chance to go out and have fun. That’s what you paid for – and hasn’t it been money well spent? The actual food is the least of what you’ve paid for, so only eat what you want and forget about the rest.

It’s far more of a waste to store it on your body than in the restaurant bin.

Order Strategically

The secret to ordering strategically is to make the easy sacrifices, not the hard ones.

Depriving yourself of something you really want can be counter-productive and lead to bingeing later. So unless you eat out all the time, make it an occasion and enjoy.

If you do eat out often, then you’ll need to be stricter most of the time, and more relaxed only on special occasions.

Here are some suggestions for ordering strategically:

Start smart. Good starter options include salads (dressing on the side – just take what you need) and non-creamy vegetable soups.

Skip the bread – usually it’s not a great loss compared to other things on offer, so it’s an easy sacrifice.

Ask wait staff not to bring bread, or ask them to remove it if it’s already there, or move it to other side of table if someone else wants it.

If you could take or leave alcohol, then leave it. Sip mineral water or soda with lime.

If you choose pasta, opt for a tomato-based rather than cream-based sauce. If possible, there should be plenty of vegetables and some protein such as chicken or seafood, and not just a huge pile of pasta.

If you crave a very goal-unfriendly dish, ask for a smaller size.

Ask for substitutions. Call ahead, remember.

Ask for salad or vegetables instead of fries.

Or order a side of vegetables – ideally steamed, but as long as they’re not dripping in butter I think they’re a good choice almost any way you can get them. (Remember all the weight-loss benefits we talked about in Mission 27: Eat More Vegetables And Legumes?)

Ask for sauces and dressings on the side, and add just what you need. Restaurant dishes can often be over-flavored, so you might enjoy a better taste experience, too.

Get totally comfortable with leaving food on your plate. As we talked about in in Mission 14: Stop Overeating, you’ve got your money’s worth.

I’m not a doggie-bag kinda gal, but if you’d like the leftovers, go ahead and ask. It’s better than finishing a meal when you’ve had enough.

If savory is your treat, then thoroughly enjoy it and skip dessert.

If you feel like something sweet at the end of the meal, consider a hot chocolate or mocha – either of which can hit that sweet spot for a lot less calories than a dessert.

Or have a coffee with a single chocolate.

Or share a dessert – ask the wait staff to halve it and bring it out on two plates.

Or ask for some fresh fruit. But…

If dessert is your thing and you’re making it your strategic splurge, then be sure to savor every bite.

Park a little way from the restaurant, so you can have a walk after dinner. Or simply go for a walk after dinner. Not advisable if you’re wearing uber-high heels, though.

Complete Mission 29

Step 1: Plan Ahead

Commit to a habit of planning ahead when you know you’ll be eating out.

Review the examples above for ways to plan ahead – so you can enjoy the experience while still remaining goal-friendly.

If you like, write about the habit of planning ahead in your 52 Weight Loss Missions Workbook.

Step 2: Order Strategically

Commit to a habit of ordering strategically when you eat out.

Review the examples above for ways to order strategically, and choose the suggestions you’ll apply.

If you like, write about the way you’ll order strategically in your 52 Weight Loss Missions Workbook.

Step 3: Check In

Collect your badge – you’ve earned it!

Leave a comment to say you’ve completed this mission and share any resources, ideas or challenges.

]]>https://52wlm.com/to-weigh-or-not-to-weigh-that-is-the-psychologically-torturous-question/feed/2How I Eat This Much And Stay Thinhttps://52wlm.com/how-i-eat-this-much-and-stay-thin/
https://52wlm.com/how-i-eat-this-much-and-stay-thin/#commentsSat, 27 Oct 2012 06:57:47 +0000https://52wlm.com/?p=2491There’s one question I get asked more than any other.

I’d like to tell you it’s something deep and meaningful, like maybe What do you think happens after death?

But the truth is, the number one question I get asked is How do you eat so much and stay thin?

Ignoring the fact that people make some rather disparaging observations about the size of my appetite, I can understand why they’re surprised. I’m pretty slim (I’ve included a picture in case you want to check for yourself) and I eat. a. lot.

I recently talked with Danielle about her inspiring weight-loss success. Here’s what she had to say…

Danielle’s Story

I had lost about 20 pounds a few times in the earlier years, but something in me happened when I reached 79 kg in November. It triggered something. I knew at that time that I had to change quite a few things in my life if I wanted to be around to see my grand kids.

For example, I like to bake for my family and friends so sweets were a big part of my diet. I would eat the dough before it got to the oven. Instead I moved to action. I took control and made a combination of changes to my life.

Firstly I joined a gym and started a personal training program. I started going three times a week but I didn’t see much change so I increased my sessions to 6-7 days a week. I also started counting my calories. I started noticing changes as early as two weeks.

The turning point came in April, when I did the 30-Day Weight-Loss-a-thon and it helped me tremendously. I went from a size 16 to a size 8P in pants and from XL to medium in shirts.

When the snow melted in late march, I started walking 1-3 hours a day and the inches and pounds just came off. It was so encouraging that I would find any excuses to go walking.

The turning point came in April, when I did the30-Day Weight-Loss-athon (included as part of 52 Weight Loss Missions Action Pack) and it helped me tremendously. I went from a size 16 to a size 8P in pants and from XL to medium in shirts.

Life is so different now! I eat healthy, I walk 75 minutes every morning and I feel so alive. I am happy and more confident. My whole weight loss is 40 pounds lost, 20 inches off my body and a decrease of about 6% body fat. I feel more alive than I have ever felt in a long time.